Lucy

Doh! I didn't even think of requesting samples! I was looking for individual packets, but I couldn't find anyone onlne who sells them individually. I usually use protein from Whole Foods because none of them have saccharine (or splenda or whatever, I really hate that fake sugar), but I am getting a little sick of the same flavor over and over again. I thought an "iced tea" protein might be good. It might also be horrible and sicky sweet.

Have any of you tried the Nectar protein powder that is supposed to taste like iced tea? I just ordered some and hope that I didn't blow $30 on another icky saccharine beverage.

Okay, I've been reading your posts since you started them and I, too, have been skeptical of your sincerity. But you need to understand that everyone on this forum is obese. Many of us have been grossy overweight our entire lives. This surgery was designed to help us become healthy, not just skinny. In fact, I don't think anyone here has an actual goal of skinny. Most of us would simply like to live our lives without being stared at or mocked. We all want to shop in a normal store where the clothes aren't hideous and made from sub-quality fabrics. Some of us have diabetes or sleep apnea or congestive heart failure. So if you are offended by our skepticism, then reconsider your motivation for having serious, elective surgery so that you can lose 15lbs. Because all of us need to lose 100+ lbs. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be 100+ lbs. overweight? Do you think any of us actually consider modeling as a possible career? We are trying to not DIE. If you sincerely think this surgery is something you need, I suggest you have an honest look into your heart and think about the quality of your life. I bet you are much more beautiful (inside and out) than you think you are. This surgery is not going to make your life better; if could possibly make it worse. Take the money you have saved up and find a pschologist who can help you work through your body image problems. And if you are really here just to mock us, then there are things that I would consider saying to you that are less than kind. But the truth is that all of us have been ridiculed more than you could ever imagine. So there is really nothing you could say or do that we haven't heard before. Poking fun at fat people is as unoriginal as it gets. If this is what you do for kicks, then you clearly have bigger problems than any of us could imagine. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Whole Foods offers an assortment of natural and organic Protein powders that don't have artificial sweeteners in them, which is what makes so many of the Protein Shakes so sicky sweet (yuck). They have a lot of them available in small packets, too, so you don't have to commit to the giant bucket until you have tried it once. Good luck!

My surgeon (in south Florida) charges around $14000 to $15000. I am having some issues with the financing, and it looks like I am going to get a personal loan from my bank. Although I completely understand the difficulty of coming up with enough money to pay for the surgery, don't assume the cheapest doctor is always the best. Do a lot of research on your surgeon to make sure he/she is very experienced. Saving a few grand now could lead to spending way more later if there are complications from a bargain doc.

Also, if you have a Whole Foods near you, they sell a lot of great protein powders that are vegetarian and vegan. I've been buying most of my food there (primarily because I hate synthetic sweeteners and all the weird chemicals that are used in conventional protein powders). They sell soy protein and hemp protein, among other things. Just read the labels, because a lot of the non-animal supplements have fewer grams of protein in a serving.

Mine is going to be outpatient. I live about 6 miles from the hospital, so it's not a long commute. My bed is way more comfortable than the hospital bed, so I have no complaints about leaving ASAP. And I'm self-pay, so I would rather not spend any extra money if it's unnecessary. But if my doctor wanted me to stay, I definitely would. I don't think it's my place to question his orders in a situation like this.

I've really gone back and forth about telling my parents. We have a close relationship but they live so far away and we only physically see each other a few times a year so they wouldn't see the evidence until I start losing weight. They have always supported me in any decision, even when they disagree with it, but ....I know that they will worry unnecessarily and possibly try to talk me out of it. This is a time when I want to be positive and only have positive support around me. After the surgery, it's already done and no one can do anything about it. I just worry that if something unexpected happens to me during the surgery that my parents would have wanted to know ahead of time.

You go, Chimboree! It IS our bodies and to hell with the skinny haters who want to judge us for what we know is the best thing we could ever do for ourselves. :whip:

Sheila, I second you on the MAC cosmetics! Especially "Diva" lipstick. I wear it every day!

OMG, Kat, that is horrifying! I really hope that she is okay. That must have been so difficult for them. It's understandable that they would be afraid to cook things on the stove. However, maybe the Pasta machine needs some more R&D before it's considered a real hit like, say, the bread machine. Mal, my husband drools every time we see a Dyson commercial. Seriously. He loves to vacuum, which is great, but I can't justify dropping that much cash on a vacuum cleaner. Is it worth the cost?

Things I can't live without? - My Blackberry - Molskine notebooks - The New York Times - Cuisinart - Breville electric kettle (I LOVE THIS) - Kiehl's (oh yeah, and my wonderful husband) As for the Barista question, I would say that the quality of the coffee is good, but I don't necessarily think you will have *better* coffee from an expensive machine. I've always been a fan of the french press and you can get one of those for $10 - $20 I don't mean to be rude, but is Pasta really so difficult to prepare that one would require a pasta cooker? It's just boiling Water, salt, and pasta -- it's not like you're whipping up a pot au feu...

I agree with a lot of the previous posters -- you were obviously invited to contribute to their assortment of gifts, which I think is a pretty low reason for inviting someone to your wedding. I say skip the shower and attend the wedding. Instead of a gift, make a donation to your favorite charity in their name in the amount of money that you feel comfortable spending. That way you aren't giving them something that you don't want to buy and they can't think poorly of your philanthropic ways. Well, at least they can't say it to your face. Good luck!

I'm 27, so I guess I'm still young. Well, young-ish. I haven't been banded yet, but I'm hoping to get it done in May or June. There are so many other amazing things you can experience in college. Not being able to get stupid with your buddies is fleeting -- I don't remember a SINGLE party from my college years, and not just because I was drunk. They really didn't matter. What mattered the most was the deep friendships that I made, the great things I learned, and the amazing places I traveled to. Your longterm health and overall happiness and well-being are so much more important than being able to buzz at a frat party.

I haven't had surgery yet (meeting with my surgeon for the first time on Wednesday!) but I have made the decision to only tell my husband and he is forbidden from telling anyone else. I am a very private person and I don't think it's anyone's business what I choose to do with my body. Maybe someday when all the weight is gone I will be willing to open up about it to close friends or my parents, but for now I want to keep it to myself. I have done so much research and thinking and planning for this that I don't need to hear anyone else's uneducated thoughts about me taking the "easy way" out or whatever. People always have an opinion and they usually share it, whether you are interested or not. I don't care what other people think, but I don't want to hear it. I am focused on increasing the quality of my life and the only input I need on this is from my husband and my physicians. Whew! So there!

I'm not, but I grew up in Philly and all my doctors were at Penn and they were all fantastic. That's not to say don't do your research, but you should be able to find an experienced bariatric surgeon there. Good luck!

Jacqui and Edie, thanks so much for your messages. It's so encouraging to find this forum where I can talk with other people about this struggle and they all completely understand!

Hi everyone. I'm a new member and I just wanted to say hello. I've been considering Lap-band surgery for a while and have recently started taking the preliminary classes, etc. My first appointment with the surgeon is on Wednesday. Reading through the conversations on this forum has been incredibly insightful and inspiring; seeing so many people who have transformed (not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally) has only increased my desire to go through with this procedure and have a serious life change. I can't wait for it to begin!